Pipe Bender Help

[4g64gs]

I have a question for anyone who has experience with pipe benders, would a hydraulic pipe bender function with thin aluminum or stainless steel pipes? For instance, pipes with a .07 wall thickness?
I tried searching the forum but it doesnt seem like the question has been answered here before.
Thanks

 

[dr_clyde]

as far as i am aware, it is only the OD that matters. As long as you have the appropriate dies, the wall thickness doesn't matter. That said, I've never tried it on that thin of tube, but i don't know why it wouldn't work. How tight of bends are you making? I imagine the tighter the bend, the riskier it would be that the pipe may bend.

 

[Aspen RT]

I have heard that a pipe bender wont work on thin wall tube. Supposedly it will put a kink in the bend. Then the same person that told me this said you can make pretty decent bends if you fill the pipe with sand before bending it.

 

[AZ_Catskinner]

Most hydraulic pipe benders will kink the **** out of anything thinner than schedule 40 pipe.

 

[Ford12508]

If it is so thin, would an EMT bender work?

 

[nissan_crawler]

first off, pipe is not tube, and tube is not pipe, so which are you wanting to bend?

 

[ekeller]

It will bend slightly, but will kink the **** out of it if you go farther then that.

 

[REAL HOT SCHITT]

i have a question for anyone who has experience with pipe benders, would a hydraulic pipe bender function with thin aluminum or stainless steel pipes? For instance, pipes with a .07 wall thickness?
I tried searching the forum but it doesnt seem like the question has been answered here before.
Thanks

hi.
Years ago when i started as a journeyman massey ferguson and farm machinery mechanic, a old hand told me to pack damp sand into thinwall pipe to be bent, but makin sure the dies conform to size.

 

[theoldwizard1]

first off, pipe is not tube, and tube is not pipe, so which are you wanting to bend?

+1 !

 

[NASTYZEN]

Pipe is measured from the inside.1.0 inch pipe = 1.0 inside diameter.The OD will be bigger than that depending on the sch.size.
Tubing is measured from the outside or OD.1.0 inch tube = 1.0 inch on the outside.The ID will be smaller depending on the wall size.
The thinner you get the harder to bend without crimping.Damp sand will help as others have mentioned.Mandrel bending is usually best.On really thin stuff you will even need a wiper die.
So if you have a pipe bender you will not have the proper fit for bending tubing because the the pipe sizes are bigger than tubing sizes.

 

[theoldwizard1]

So if you have a pipe bender you will not have the proper fit for bending tubing because the the pipe sizes are bigger than tubing sizes.

Curious. What do you use for bending tubing ? Will it handle chrome-moly ?

 

[4g64gs]

How hard does the sand need to be packed? I'm asking because i need to bend the pipes for the intercooler on my eclipse. And I dont want to waste any pipes through trial and error.

 

[toolman1967]

I think you are talking about larger dia. thin wall stuff. I have made mandrels and shoes out of wood with good luck. BUT the larger dia. and thinner wall you go, the harder it is to bend. I think I would buy mandrel bends and straight pieces and TIG then into what you need.

 

[YellowLakeWelding]

How hard does the sand need to be packed? I'm asking because i need to bend the pipes for the intercooler on my eclipse. And I dont want to waste any pipes through trial and error.

I tamp it enough so there isn't any air pockets that would allow the tubing to kink. I also use silica sand available at most any lumber yards, it's dry allowing you to get most or all back out of the tubing when finished, nominal size and easily poured into tubing. Typically you can just plumbing bungs available at the hardware stores or other big box stores. Good luck, keep in mind this is a technique that's been in practice since the olden days of tube bending with heat when such bending machines weren't widely available.